There is no doubt in my mind that Americans are living through an unprecedented level of government corruption.
The billionaires who are in power are also the people getting tax breaks while our communities struggle to afford gas and groceries. While the current administration can’t find money for Head Start or healthcare, there’s somehow billions of dollars available to start a war in Iran.
Americans are dealing with a cost-of-living crisis, and these abuses of power are making it worse. All the while, the wealthiest people in our country are richer than ever.
Voters are suspicious about our political system, too: In a recent Gallup poll, nearly 90% of U.S. adults said corruption is “widespread” in government. Whether you are a Democrat, Republican or independent, we can all agree that our leaders and institutions should always put the best interests of the American people first.
Some of the most powerful people in this country are profiting from the decisions they’re supposed to be making for us.
The president has made hundreds of millions of dollars off his meme coin while he and his administration have pushed to loosen regulations on the industry. His son in law, Jared Kushner, has raised billions of dollars from Saudi Arabia while conducting sensitive negotiations abroad. All the while, the top 1% of people in this country own as much as the bottom 90%. The stock market has hit record highs, but ordinary people still feel the squeeze to afford the basics.
We’ve never seen self-dealing at this scale like this. Millions of dollars in dark money are flowing throughout our political system. Some members of Congress may be trading stocks based on information the public doesn’t have. The revolving door between the government and lobbying for large corporations keeps spinning. Americans are dealing with a cost-of-living crisis, and these abuses of power are making it worse. All the while, the wealthiest people in our country are richer than ever.
It’s exactly what our founders feared, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
When large corporations and the people in charge of our country are selling access, trading on insider knowledge and pocketing money from foreign governments, our country suffers.
Congress should ban the president, vice president, and members of Congress from trading stocks. There needs to be strict limits on spouses and family members as well. We must remove dark money from our politics. And the priority of public servants should never be to profit from the offices they hold.
As the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, my colleagues and I have been fighting to investigate those who are abusing their positions for their own financial gain, actually hold billionaires and corrupt people accountable, and strengthen our laws and safeguards to make sure this level of corruption never happens again.
When large corporations and the people in charge of our country are selling access, trading on insider knowledge and pocketing money from foreign governments, our country suffers. And middle-class and working families who pay the price.
As a young immigrant child growing up in this country, I saw my mom working hard every day to provide a better life for our family. Her hard work paid off and she was able to provide us with a better life. I was the first in my family to attend college. Today, our country has strayed far from this story of opportunity that makes America great. Government corruption and money in politics has made it so that the rich get richer and get farther ahead, while the rest of us fall behind.
When Democrats win back the House in November, we will have the power to hold corruption to account and pass bills that will rebuild our system and make life better for all Americans.
In the majority, Democrats will have the tools to shape what we investigate on the Oversight Committee. Oversight Democrats will be able to set the committee’s agenda, launch investigations, call witnesses to demand answers and compel information through subpoenas if needed. As the primary oversight committee of the House, we will fight to shine a light on the blatant corruption we’re seeing in this country, from the White House’s cover-up of the Epstein files to immigration enforcement misconduct. And we will hold those responsible to account.
I will continue fighting to use every tool available to uncover the rampant corruption in our country, pass real reforms and build a political system that actually puts the American people first.
The post I lead House Oversight Democrats. Corruption is making the cost-of-living crisis worse. appeared first on MS NOW.
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